Lionel Messi's pre-match speech to his Argentina teammates ahead of the World Cup final in 2014 has been revealed by Pablo Zabaleta.
The superstar helped lead his team to the showpiece clash against Germany eight years ago as they sought to win their first World Cup since 1986. However, the South American nation fell short in the final as Mario Gotze’s strike in extra-time secured the trophy for Joachim Low’s team.
Messi led Argentina to the Copa America title last year – their first major trophy in three decades – but football’s most prestigious trophy has continued to elude them. The Paris Saint-Germain star is now set to feature in his fifth, and last, World Cup – as he aims to complete his trophy set.
The pain of the 2014 final defeat is still in the memory of many of Argentina’s stars ahead of the 2022 edition. Lionel Scaloni's side are among the favourites to win the competition and will be hoping to go one better than they did eight years ago.
Zabaleta explained on the documentary Messi , aired on BBC Sport: “We all expected Leo to win everything with Argentina, there was so much pressure on him. He is not a person who likes to talk too much, but he said a few words before the final against Germany.
“As a leader of the team, you do not need to speak all the time. Everyone is different. As a leader, sometimes you do not need to speak too much but then there is a right moment to talk to someone, and that is the moment to say something and everyone listens.
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“Leo said ahead of the game: ‘Guys, we are in the World Cup final. No matter if we win or we lose, let us enjoy the game.’ That, coming from Leo, who has played in Champions League finals and is one of the greatest players in the world. He knew that day and that game was special – it was a dream for him being in the World Cup final.”
Zabaleta said, reflecting on the impact of losing the match: “If you win, you could say for the rest of your life that ‘I am a World Cup champion’. If you lose, it is like how long is it going to take you again to be in a World Cup final. That is why that day is like…uff.
“After the game, it was terrible. We were all crying like babies because we were so close.”
